TigerTriple.com

Go To post #167 to an archive pdf file of the mod with pics


I posted this on the old site, but I thought I better get this over here:

Do yourself a favor and update the wiring a bit.  The stock wiring looses anywhere from 0.5vdc to 1+ volts in the stock wiring/connectors/fuse between   the Regulator/Rectifier (RR) and the battery.  Here is how to solve this.  By the way, this mod works for any bike and I have done the exact same mod on every bike I have owned since I discovered it in the mid 80's.

Readers digest version:

Unhook the connector from the RR to the bikes harness.  Tape off the connector coming from the bike, you will not be using it any more.

(http://www.tigertriple.com/forum/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=15269.0;attach=13633;image)

Buy yourself the heaviest duty fuse kit like this.  I got this at NAPA.

(http://www.tigertriple.com/forum/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=15269.0;attach=13635;image)

Put a ring terminal on one end big enough for your battery terminal.

(http://www.tigertriple.com/forum/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=15269.0;attach=13637;image)

Build yourself a splice for the other end.  The RR has 4 wires.  Two are 12vdc and two ground.  You are just splicing the two powers into one wire and the two grounds into one wire.  Put F spade terminals on the end.

(http://www.tigertriple.com/forum/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=15269.0;attach=13639;image)

Here is my ground splice.

(http://www.tigertriple.com/forum/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=15269.0;attach=13641;image)
(http://www.tigertriple.com/forum/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=15269.0;attach=13643;image)

Fit the power and ground wires into the factory connector.  Tape it up really good and then attach them directly to the battery.  Install a new 30a fuse and you are done.  You have just reduced the distance from the RR to the battery.  My charge voltage on my dash meter went from an all time best of 13.5 vdc to a running average of 14.3 to 14.5 vdc.  The bike seems to run crisper, but that could be in my head.  But even at idle with everything running, it seldom drops below 12.8vdc.

(http://www.tigertriple.com/forum/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=15269.0;attach=13645;image)
(http://www.tigertriple.com/forum/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=15269.0;attach=13647;image)
(http://www.tigertriple.com/forum/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=15269.0;attach=13649;image)

Good Idea. I did a similar thing on my KLR. The first thing I noticed was a brighter headlight...
Looks like a good project for this winter.

Does anybody know if this is the same for an 05 Tiger. I have spent 30 minutes looking for the first connector that you should disconnect but I can't find it any where :oops:

I want to try and make the headlights brighter, even my 72 BSA has a better headlight, but it does run a 7" Lucas car unit complete with halagon bulbs.

Thanks

It is just about exactly the same on every bike from many manufacturers I have ever owned.  Find the regulator and follow the wire.  It is about 10" away down the wire.

Quote from: "tcbezza"Does anybody know if this is the same for an 05 Tiger. I have spent 30 minutes looking for the first connector that you should disconnect but I can't find it any where :oops:

I want to try and make the headlights brighter, even my 72 BSA has a better headlight, but it does run a 7" Lucas car unit complete with halagon bulbs.

Thanks

I've done it my 04 - the connector was up under the back of the tank. Much easier with the tank removed but I had it off anyway.

this mod is awesome!

i have been looking for a way to get more power for almost a year now!

my bike is running so much better.

Hey Sas...
Good stuff.... I'll be looking to that this winter.

I'll bet you'd get better results ( minor as they might be ) if you
soldered your connections/ends ...

for those of you who do not have a 'mini-torch' ....
pussy foot your tail over to Home depot and get a KIT for about $15!

 Trax

Quote from: "TigerTrax"Hey Sas...
Good stuff.... I'll be looking to that this winter.

I'll bet you'd get better results ( minor as they might be ) if you
soldered your connections/ends ...

for those of you who do not have a 'mini-torch' ....
pussy foot your tail over to Home depot and get a KIT for about $15!

 Trax

Yes, you are right.  But, in my defense, we are an engineering company and those are the good spade ends and I have the proper tool for getting the proper crimp on them.  This is not cheap harbor freight/Autozone crap.

Just so I understand, you connect the new + and - wires on top (in addition) to the existing batary connections, right?

Yup.  Just giving them a nice short run to the battery.

Not sure I follow whats happening with this mod. Doesn't this bypass the Reg/Rec ? If so how do you stop the battery getting fried? What happens to the wiring in the 'taped up - not going to be used anymore' section?

 Any chance of a wiring diagram posted to make it clearer (before and after) for the more 'technically challenged' !?

Thanks

No.  All you are doing is shortening the wiring between the RR and the battery.  You eliminate 2 connectors, 1 fuse, multiple connections and about 18" of wire.  You are also shortening the ground considerably.

Sorry, I do not have a wiring diagram.  Would need to show you in person.

Thanks for the swift reply, and for making things clear.  Amazing the difference that a few unnecessary 'extras' can make in lost voltage between alternator and the battery.

I had a Yamaha (from new) that needed to have the battery replaced after less than 2 years - almost certainly due to a poor charge of the battery from the bike.

Thanks again.

Your Yamaha's battery was probably getting over charged.  Every Yamaha I have owned (5) charged at better than 15.0 volts.  Yamaha's spec says that 15.3 is the high end of acceptable.  15.3 volts is way too much.  No matter what I did, on every Yamaha I owned, batteries were killed within 2 years.

Thanks for the mod Sasquatch, just about done with mine. I was at 12.9 at idle, we'll see what I get when I get it back together. I still have a couple more mods to do and I may have Pat replace my head gasket since I found a minute amout of coolant leaking from the head gasket near the header.

Cleav

My mod is done and I was getting 14.8 volts at idle and 14.7 at higher RPM.  Nice engineering!  Up from 12.8-12.9 at idle. Now I'll just finish up my power block and be done with wiring for a bit.  My Datel meter should be here soon (been over 2 weeks since I ordered it) and I'll get that installed also.

Cleav

:D

I read recently on ADV forum that one guy had routed his modified wires to the starter motor for the positive and the engine earth strap for the negative. This was because there's a nice big fat wire running straight to the battery from those two places. That thread wasn't so much about shortening the wires. More about increasing the gauge of the wires so that you don't get so much voltage drop.

Just to be sure I understand:

I really need 2 of the fuse holders and will use one to run the red wires from the RR back to the + battery terminal and the other one to run the black wires back to the - battery terminal?  Thanks!

Just one fuse, on the leg to the Positive Battery Terminal.  The leg to the Negative Battery Terminal needs no fuse.

Thanks for the reply Stretch!  Got it - and am proceeding with this mod.  

--J

QuoteUnhook the connector from the RR to the bikes harness. Tape off the connector coming from the bike, you will not be using it any more.

I am not quite seeing how voltage gets to the bikes system after this mod is done, because the connector to the bike is left un hooked.  It seems as though you are creating a loop from the battery to the RR and back.  
I basically get what is going on just a little misunderstanding on my part.

You are disconnecting the charging system from the bike's wiring harness, bypassing a few feet of small-gauge wire.  In doing so, you are essentially wiring the output side of the R/R straight to the battery...

so how does the bike wiring harness receive power to run everything else if the RR goes straight to the battery?  Sorry I usually get this stuff when I do it myself.

The bike receives its power from the battery... the big brown cable bolted to the Positive terminal.

The Voltage Fix puts alternator power straight into the battery terminals, and the bike gets what it needs from the same terminals.

You're not eliminating the wiring between the battery and the bike, just the excess wiring between the R/R and the battery.

Ahhhhh...its all clear now.  What is being done is eliminating the paralell part of the circuit, thus eliminating the voltage drop.  very cool indeed.

Thanks for holding my hand on that one.

Sorry Stretch but I was kind of scratching my head on this as well, sorry I haven't actually looked at the bike yet so I looked at my shop manual from the warm comfort of my office, perhaps this will help clear some confusion.
I too was wondering if this fix would simply isolate the RR from the other systems of the bike and wondered "why bother" but the wiring diagram makes it clear.

Item #70 is the RR, item #69 is the alternator.




(http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k308/MikeFromMT/IMG_1406.jpg)[/img]

(http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k308/MikeFromMT/IMG_1406.jpg)

The diagram helps.

We see two Black wires coming out of the R/R (#70) going to Ground (#68 ).  With The Fix, they now go straight to the Negative battery terminal (#67).

We see two Brown wires coming out of the R/R (#70) going into the bike's wiring harness.  With The Fix, they now go straight to the Positive battery terminal (#67) through a 30-amp inline fuse.

That's it.

What The Sasquatch Fix does is remove a few feet of power-robbing small-gauge wire from the R/R-to-Battery circuits, and replaces it with short lengths of large-gauge wire, resulting in less resistance in the circuit,  and a bit more voltage reaching the battery.

Hi Stretch/Sasquatch-
I'm gearing up for a 10 state 5000 mi ride in June. Since I've hooked up my elec. grips and ordered an elec. vest I thought I would play it safe with the Sasquatch fix. My '99 Tiger wiring looks nothing like what I'm seeing in the photos. I cannot find the connector that everyone is describing, nor the rectifier, even with the tank off. My alternator looks like it may have some type of internal R/R. Also my wiring diagram is completely different than yours. #66 is my alternator and they do not call out a R/R anywhere. What am I missing?
BTW, the voltage at idle is 3.9 - 4.0 when the bike is cold. Do I even need this fix?  Thanks for your help

that's correct - the 1999 and 2000 have a different charging system - it's all attached to the alternator. Nothing to bypass.

If you get the older triumph manual, it has the different wiring diagram included for the 885i motor.

does this charging fix apply to Girlies? or do they have the electrical system like the last post and pics?

885i Girlies (1999- early 2001) have one-piece external alternators (like a car), and are not candidates for the Sasquatch Fix.

955i Girlies (mid-2001 - 2006) have the alternator Rotor and Stator inside the engine case, with an external Regulator / Rectifier mounted to the frame under the seat.  This is the system that can be improved with the Sasquatch Fix.

Thanks for the reply and setting the record straight. Now I can go back and tell my wife I'm NOT as dumb as I look!
You guys might want to go back to the thread and update it with this info so some poor slob doesn't have to rip everything apart for nothing. Thanks again.
Steve

Quote from: "Mini Mo"You guys might want to go back to the thread and update it with this info so some poor slob doesn't have to rip everything apart for nothing.

Alright, good idea.

but not in the dog sense!


After way too many hours... over the weekend I did a major electrical upgrade to y '06 Girly, adding a fused power supply to feed the Volt meter, Radar detector, GPS, Horns, Accesory socket and driving lights. A significant increase int he potential load, especially on top of the heated Jacket I already run when needed.

My first test ride, the volt meter paid off before I even left the driveway. I went out to jump on and go and saw that voltage was at 8 V and dropping and no amount of throttle changed that...

Back into the garage I went, and soon found that the main wire had pulled out of its crimp on the Voltage fix, but was covered by shrink tube so it couldn't be seen... and I swear I pull tested all my crimps.. honest!

So with that fixed I went on a nice test ride, and all was well.

I get up to 14.9 volts when not much is running, but turn on those driving lights and we are instantly hovering at 12v with all else shut off and sitting at 5000 rpm.... so I will have to get the 35 watt bulbs and swap out the 55 watt ones.   even with that I question if the lights will be able to be run much.

Last night I got a chance to run with the light a bit and I need to
remount/aim them anyway.

Now comes the issue....and the second issue diagnosed and monitored by the new Voltmeter,   'cause there just had to be an issue, right? ......

the Gerbings jacket I have will cycle on/off as a matter of course when it isn;t set on high... as the jacket kicks in I can see voltage drop to low 13's, but what really got me was all the lighting dimming significantly when the Jacket kicked in... the instrument lights would dim significantly and the headlights the same.

Prior to doing the bypass voltage fix, I had run the same jacket on a night ride, running the jacket the entire time, and I never noticed this effect.

The jacket plugs into the access socket in the factory harness to the bike.

I do have the wiring kit that came with the jacket and can try that..

(update) Gerbings agrees... hook the jacket direct to the battery.. once again the wimpy Tiger wiring harness strikes fear into the hearts of the non-mechanically inclined!!  LOL  SO I will perform the swap and see what happens.

BTW, the Gerbings sucks 75 watts at full load.. I would assume that with most else off the bike would support that load... ??

I have some most excellent pictures I will post at some point

thanks for the thread!

Jason...
I've run 2 Gerbings jackets + heated grips all day w/o problem.

That should be about 200 watts ( 76/liner + 48 for grips )..
I did not run my radio or aux lights .... pressing for a messing!

Thanks Stretch and others for all of the input. A few Q's I have:

I have an '06 - no charging problems to date
Use a battery tender when ever it is sitting in my garage
I have factory heated grips
Direct wired Garmin Zumo
Don't have heated liner - but plan to some day
Other than that, no plans for any extra lights, voltmeter etc etc
Have not tested my bike's current output.

I was going to do the Sasquatch fix, but after reading all of the charging threads/voltage threads, wonder, it ain't broke, should I fix it?

If I proceed with the Sasquatch fix, is it OK to just cut off the stock connector and splice/solder/shrink/tape the new connections. Am I going to regret having cut the stock connector off? Should I leave it there for future ability to "test" the RR if necessary?

Thanks.

UPDATE:  I went ahead and did the fix since I'd constructed the leads to go from the battery to the RR. I did the female spade ends (vs cutting the stock connector off) figuring that if I screwed some wiring up or if it ever went bad (my connections) during a trip I could remove all of my connections and just plug in the stock connectors.

Finally got off my duff and did the voltage fix. Printed out all the pics and followed it step by step. No problems...no hassles  and...................My cheapo volt meter was showing 13.9  @ 3000 rpm......now showing 14.9. Verifying  it with a small hand held meter shows a variance of as much as .5 volts from what my dash mounted unit displays..Allowing that it still indicates kicking 14.4 volts to the battery.................Thanks Stretch

Hey Swamper-

You bring up something that was annoying me too-  that my voltmeter was not really very accurate by the time the current travelled up to the dash.  (It seems that I lose about .6 volts)

I spent some time with my good hand-held meter at the battery to test what the battery is really getting vs. what the dash mounted meter says.

Now I just have to do mentally add about half a volt to whatever the meter says. Sort of annoying, but I've made peace with it!

The only real place to measure the voltage is....  at the battery.  If you fit a voltmeter the (Voltage sense) wire should, in an ideal world,  connect thru a fuse to your battery...  but of course you don't want it on all the time so it should connect thru a relay.

Guys,

First of all, thanks for a great fix. I hope this will solve my problem. When riding in town, with two 55W aux lights on, I get down to 11.5V or so. If I turn off the bike, it won't re-start at that voltage. On the road, no problem.

I just wanted to check the fuse amperage. You say 30A in the original post but the Tiger's alternator is rated at 40. Is 30A enough? No blown fuses here? I wanted to put a 40A fuse, but have not found a suitable fuse holder. Seems they are all rated at 30A (see Radio Shack). Is the one in the original post rated at 30A?

Thanks for the help.

John

I've found that an ATC fuse holder won't handle the current flowing from the R/R to the battery.  I had a fuse holder melt on me a couple months back, so I switched my Sasquatch Fix to an in-line Maxi fuse holder with a 30-amp Maxi fuse.

Compare the Maxi with the ATC automotive fuse...

(http://www.bcae1.com/images/jpegs/fusemaxi.jpg)

These fuses and fuse holders can be found at car stereo shops, used for high-wattage amplifiers.

You'll probably do fine with a 40-amp fuse.  I think the reason the original Sasquatch Fix went with 30-amp fuses is that 30 amps is the rating of the fuse holder.  A Maxi fuse holder is capable of handling nearly 100 amps, so you certainly won't have resistance heating problems with the wire or fuse holder at a mere 30 or 40 amps.

Be sure to keep a spare with your bike.  You can't find these fuses just anywhere.

I'm using a 40 amp fuse holder with a 30 amp fuse.  It was a difference between 10 and 12 ga wire.

It's not the wire that caused me problems, but the spade connectors in the ATC fuse holder itself.  Under a heavier load (radio, heated gear and grips, etc), the 3/16-inch spade terminals inside the ATC fuse holder couldn't flow that amount of current for hours on end, and the connectors overheated and melted the fuse holder.

The 3/8-inch connectors in a Maxi fuse holder are much, much bigger, making for tons more surface area between the fuse and connectors, drastically reducing the electrical resistance in that connection.

Quote from: "Stretch"The 3/8-inch connectors in a Maxi fuse holder are much, much bigger, making for tons more surface area between the fuse and connectors, drastically reducing the electrical resistance in that connection.

Sure.  What's he running that will need a maxi fuse?  Or is he just looking for another way to get a little bit more power out of the electrical system.

Neither.  Switching to the Maxi fuse and holder will not increase RR output, nor will it enable a rider to draw any more current from his electrical system.

The only thing it will do is allow the required current to pass from the RR to the battery without overheating the fuse holder.

The old ATC fuse holder in my Sasquatch Fix overheated and melted because its small connectors created too much electrical resistance... the fuse holder couldn't endure having the normal 30 amps flowing through it for hours at a time.

So I swapped to a fuse holder that's rated for 100 amps at 36 Volts DC, which will never, ever overheat at 30 amps @ 14 Volts DC.  I'm still using a 30-amp fuse, but in a new 'overbuilt' fashion.  

I merely replaced a marginal part with too-small of connectors (for 30 amps), with a larger more substantial part with connectors that can handle that kind of current flow without heating up.

I've got it now.  Thanks for the clarification.

Stretch and all,

Thanks for all the tips. I though a 30A fuse may be a problem. I'm glad I asked before.

Where do you find that Maxi fuse? I don't live in the US and am not too sure about things on the internet. I found many like this: http://www.thegreathardwarestore.com/Pr ... click=2744 (http://www.thegreathardwarestore.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=717108&click=2744). Not sure this is the right one, though.

Any links or tips?

By the way Stretch, I also took you advice from some time ago and put a volt meter on my bike. Unfortunately, the little waterproof one took a long time to arrive so I strapped on my old Radio Shack meter. Looked very strange, but did the trick. I was going below 12V while in town with aux lights on. I hope this fix will do the trick. Thanks for the advice!

John

Quote from: "Nimrod11"Where do you find that Maxi fuse? I don't live in the US and am not too sure about things on the internet. I found many like this: http://www.thegreathardwarestore.com/Pr ... click=2744 (http://www.thegreathardwarestore.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=717108&click=2744). Not sure this is the right one, though.

Nope, that's not it.  That's an ATO fuseholder, which I believe is dimensionally the same as an ATC.

What I used is the Maxi size.  Here's a link:  http://www.tti-plus.com/ProductDetails. ... nextag.com (http://www.tti-plus.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=TTI-MAXI-F8G&Click=431&site=www.nextag.com)

If you can't find one locally, PM me and I'll buy one for you here and mail it to you.

Having a mounted voltmeter can be an eye-opener.  As you've found, the pair of 55-watt lights may be too much for the charging system in stop-and-go traffic.

I found mine at Napa.  10 ga. wires in and out.

Similar fuses and holders may be available at a marine store..  (looks similar to a BLUE SEAS product, but again that is a USA brand)

I am sooooooooo happy!!!  :D  :D  :D  :D

Just did the fix last night and it is fantastic. I think I got almost 2V increase with this. This is where my problem was. Thank you all so much for this tip. I would have been a frustrated Tiger owner otherwise.

I also wanted to leave my little contribution for others to go ahead and do this fix. It is so easy to do. The first time I read it, I thought I would have to take the bike down to my mechanic to do it but it is very simple indeed.

I made the two wires, according to the instructions, using a Maxi Fuse (I discovered that here in Brazil they call it a "Big Foot") of 40A. You can actually do them quite short as you can bring the plug near the battery. Actually, if it weren't for the two plugs on the positive, you could just use the wire that comes with the fuse holder.

Here are the wires I made:
(http://www.finesko.com/pictures/IMG00110s.jpg)

You will note further down that they could be much shorter.

The bike wire you have to disconnect is on the left side, near the accessory power outlet. You will notice it comes from the Regulator/Rectifier that is just to the left of the battery, hidden away. The bike's harness goes over to the right side of the bike. This wire you don't want anymore. This is the connector:
(http://www.finesko.com/pictures/IMG00112s.jpg)

Once disconnected, isolate the bike harness part and pull the connector you want up near the battery. Then just connect the harness you made to the connector and to the battery. here is my final setup:
(http://www.finesko.com/pictures/IMG00114s.jpg)

Note that the original connector sits right beside the battery terminal. This gives you an idea of how short you man make your wires.

I also installed my little voltmeter. This of course took much longer as you have to take all the front of the bike off:
(http://www.finesko.com/pictures/IMG00119s.jpg)

The reading is 13V but this is after the aux lights switch. At the battery terminals, it was 13.5V, up from about 11.7V before the fix at idle.  :lol:

And, since I am posting, here are the lights I put on:
(http://www.finesko.com/pictures/IMG00121s.jpg)
(http://www.finesko.com/pictures/IMG00120s.jpg)

Very cheap lights, bought at Walmart, but very effective when driving and very easy to install. I just used the same screw that holds the side panel of the bike on, just near the flickers.

Go ahead, do this fix. It is great! With all this power, I'll now install a 42"TV and a microwave for the popcorn...

Thanks to all of the Forum for this great tip!

Regards,
John

Good setup.  You are going to love the extra power.

After 23 years of riding, I have become a fairly competent wrench for most basic maintenance tasks... as for electrical... well I'm a complete noob!  :lol: However, this thread has tweeked my interest and I have been absorbing and reading and understanding as much as I can.

I decided to test my Tiger to see how many volts it spews at idle with and without a pair of 55w driving lights turned on.

At idle (both headlights on): fluctuates between 13.6 and 13.9 volts dc (I think it creeped up to as high as 40)

At idle (both headlights on) plus 2x 55w driving lights: fluctuates between 12.2 and 12.6 volts dc

Is this o.k., or should I be worried?

I should note that I rarely use my driving lights at idle, saving them mainly for night time riding on poorly lit roads.

Krugan,

Your voltage seems fine but I also wouldn't be affraid of the fix. The idea of my post was to try to show just how easy it is. It seems, however, that you probably don't need it.

I was down to about 11.5V when driving round town and stopped at traffic lights with my aux lights on. In this situation, if I stopped the engine, I wouldn't have enough juice to start-up again  :BangHead

On the road I was fine. I would then go out for a day trip and, when returning home, would have to turn off my lights some 10 minutes before I got home so the battery would recharge - quite ridiculous.

I bought my 2004 Tiger last January. It was a good deal but I do believe the previous owner left it out in the rain a lot. The electrical harness probably got a little degraded with this and was loosing more power that usual.

Regards,
John

Quote from: "The Kurgan"At idle (both headlights on): fluctuates between 13.6 and 13.9 volts dc (I think it creeped up to as high as 40)

At idle (both headlights on) plus 2x 55w driving lights: fluctuates between 12.2 and 12.6 volts dc

Is this o.k., or should I be worried?

13.6 - 13.9 at idle without the fix?  That's pretty good.  As for the 12.2 and 12.6 readings, as long as it goes above ~13.1V above 3k RPM, you should have no problems.  

If the voltage is below ~13.1V, at any time, then the battery is starting to discharge by outputting power to the system.  This is regardless of engine speed.  In addition to starting the bike, the battery is there to TEMPORARILY take up the slack when the charging system is not meeting the load demand.  This is normal at low engine speeds.

I need some lights!

Finally did the fix yesterday. Just a quick question for those smarter than me (nearly everyone  :roll: ):

I used  two 10 ga wires from the RR into one 8 ga wire to a 50 amp Maxi fuse and holder.

1. Does the difference in wire thickness mean anything good/bad/indifferent?

2.All they had at the marine store was the 50 amp Maxi. Is that overkill or no problem?

Having said that, My cheap-o light up voltmeter went up a full green light after the fix. It's roughly the difference between somewhere around 12v and around 13+v consistantly. Very happy. Now maybe I can get some lights on the crash bars and not worry about it!  :D

This thread and site rock! I've learned so much from everyone here (picture ass-kissing sounds now!  :notworthy).

Hey haulin' daze! Congrats on the fix.

Both wires should be fine for your need. The 10 gauge wire is rated at 55A. Considering it is short and well ventilated, no problem. More important than the wire is the connection you make between them. That can always be a hot point and end up breaking the connection and ruining the day.

As for the fuse, I put a 50A fuse also. I bought a few 40 and 50 but put in the 50 in the end. I figure if it is going to blow, it will blow anyway. In fact, the original bike harness has no fuse to the battery, so you are better off anyway.

Happy rides!
John
 :5moped

Quote from: "Nimrod11"the original bike harness has no fuse to the battery

Actually it does, fuse number 2 in the fuse box, 30-amps.

I initially did the Sasquatch fix w/ two 12ga wires going to one 12ga wire w/ inline atc 30amp. Picked up over a volt. Worked well (apparently) for approx 7 months til a couple of weeks ago when my fuse and/ or fuse holder seemed to have melted. I've now redone the fix using two 12ga wires to one 10ga in line maxi but I'm still running a 30 amp fuse. Is there any pros or cons to going to 40 or 50 amp? I assumed the blame for the melt was using two 12ga wires going to one 12ga... ?

It was probably the fuse holder itself rather than the wires. The in-line fuse holders just can't handle the heat, I'm guessing your old fuse looked good but the plastic around it had melted?  That's usually the case. The Maxi helps disperse the heat much better and the fuse is more durable. I'm running 10ga wires off the regulator into 8ga wire to the fuse holder and battery. A consistent 14.4 without any accessories on and the engine above 2500 - 3000 rpm. At a warm low idle, I'm running 12.6.  

I can't comment on the line rating and the recommended fuse, I'm just not that smart on this stuff. I'm running a 30 amp Maxi because that's what Triumph originally rated the system for. I'm not sure what running a 40 or 50 will do for you, but someone on here might have some input.

I'm not real sure what happened first. The gauges and lights died, then the motor. I'm thinking the fuse had heated up and cooled off so many times over the past 7 months the resistance became worse and it finally just heated up and melted/ snapped the element inside the fuse.
The fuse literally came out in two pieces. Tom, where did you find that 8ga inline fuse holder? Or maybe you made your own by connecting an 8ga wire with female spade terminals directly to and from your maxi fuse?

Good comments, Tom. The little fuse simply can't take the current.

Just to give you guys an idea, a regular household plug is usually rated at 10A. 30 or 40A is a huge amount of current. It would melt away any domestic plug or outlet.

I was corrected by Stretch in a previous post that the Tiger has a fuse to the battery. I am only guessing here, since I don't have the wiring diagrams, but that fuse doesn't take all the power that comes out of the R/R. It only take she surplus to the battery. With the fix, the new fuse will carry all the power out of the R/R. I figure that, since the R/R is rated at 40A, you should at least have that rating. You also get a few peaks of current, just for a fraction of a second, when you turn some accessory on or off.

Since these discussions, I have put in a 40A fuse in mine. I'd rather change a fuse every now and then than have to change the R/R. Seems to be OK but I don't have any heating equipment.

My recommendation: use a maxi fuse with at least a 10 gauge wire. For the splice, 12 gauge should be fine as you will be dividing the current in 2.

Good luck!

Nimrod is on the right track.  The maxi fuse holder has a larger contact surface area, which at higher currents will not get as warm.... so the holder shouldn't melt.  But it is important to remember the fuse is an important part of the charging and electrical system.

The job of the fuse is to protect this associated wiring from carrying too much current, over-heating, melting and.... worse.  The fuse is designed to be the weakest part of the system, to protect it.

Using a bigger fuse won't change the output of your RR or charging system.

Quote from: "Nimrod11"I am only guessing here, since I don't have the wiring diagrams, but that fuse doesn't take all the power that comes out of the R/R. It only take she surplus to the battery.

Nope, that fuse takes all the power coming from the R/R.  A couple members here have reported a melted charging fuse connector (#2) in the stock fuse holder, for the same reason we've been discussing in regard to the smaller ATC inline holder, and have experienced a complete loss of charging voltage to the battery.  The bike was then running solely on battery voltage, until it went dead in the road after running the battery down.

Note that the two brown wires (3 and 4) coming from the R/R (#70) are tied together at the black dot, and then go straight to Fuse #2.  Pull that fuse, and you will have zero Volts going into the battery.

(http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k308/MikeFromMT/IMG_1406.jpg)

All you're doing with the Voltage Fix is removing a few feet of wire from between the R/R and battery, and substituting an inline fuse holder for the one in the stock fuse box.

I picked up my Maxi and the 8ga wire at a local stereo installation shop. They had a couple of different types of fuse holders, I went with the weather proof one and put a brass connector on the battery end.  The 8ga wire is spiral wound copper coated in rubber for flexibility.

Tom...  and all
Where you can buy your electrical stuff from Auto electrical or better yet (but more costly) Marine electrical stores.

Car Audio is about bling and the cables they use, whilst OK reflect this. A really flexible cable usually has a larger diameter rubber/plastic sheath... if the cable does get warm this works better to keep the heat in.  The sheath won't weather well.
Auto Cable is usually practical and cost effective, it has a sheath that usually has a better temperature and abrasion rating than Audio stuff.
Marine cable of good quality uses tinned copper, this is corrosion resistant.  Like Auto cable it usually has a thinner sheath that has good resistance to heat, abrasion and solvents.

For ring terminals (as on the battery end) use a plated type if you can (plated copper or cadmium plated steel are the most common), as these are corrosion resistant.

Hope my training an experience can help you all....

Quote from: "Stretch"Note that the two brown wires (3 and 4) coming from the R/R (#70) are tied together at the black dot, and then go straight to Fuse #2.  Pull that fuse, and you will have zero Volts going into the battery.

Stretch, once again I stand corrected, thanks for the diagram. BTW, where do you have that from? I wanted to get myself the service manual, so I don't have to keep asking you the dumb questions, and just want to make sure I get the good manual.

Anyway, part of what I thought is true. Not all the current goes to the battery. At the fuse block itself, the power is connected directly to other loads, before it goes to the battery. Now looking at the diagram, it also occured to me that you could then use the discarded bike harness that was bypassed by the fix as a good source of power for connecting other auxiliary loads, without having to make other precarious connections. It is, however, constantly connected to the battery and would need a relay.

What is the rating of fuse 66? I must say I am puzzled by the rating of fuse 2 (30A). I would have expected that it be 40A, equivalent to the R/R. Do you think that a 40A (or even 50A as previously discussed) may risk burning out the R/R? That could ruin a day...

QuoteNow looking at the diagram, it also occured to me that you could then use the discarded bike harness that was bypassed by the fix as a good source of power for connecting other auxiliary loads, without having to make other precarious connections

I thought of this too. Would using this harness just complicate things and due more harm than good?

Quote from: "haulin' daze"

QuoteNow looking at the diagram, it also occured to me that you could then use the discarded bike harness that was bypassed by the fix as a good source of power for connecting other auxiliary loads, without having to make other precarious connections

I thought of this too. Would using this harness just complicate things and due more harm than good?

I did exactly that on mine to power a couple of things and it works fine.

Quote from: "Nimrod11"What is the rating of fuse 66? I must say I am puzzled by the rating of fuse 2 (30A). I would have expected that it be 40A, equivalent to the R/R. Do you think that a 40A (or even 50A as previously discussed) may risk burning out the R/R? That could ruin a day...

Fuse 66 (the bike's master fuse) is a 30-amp ATC fuse, located on the left outer side of the battery box.  When this fuse blows or is otherwise rendered inoperable, the whole wiring harness is dead.

Naturally, any aftermarket accessories or fuse blocks connected directly to the battery operate independently from the master fuse.

The diagram is from the Triumph manual.




I would be hesitant to increase the amperage of either Fuse 2 or the Sasquatch Fix (if fitted) fuse.  The stock R/R and Stator are rated for similar loads, so if you increase the fuse amperage rating and subsequently draw too much from the charging system, you run the risk of frying the Stator.  

The Regulator side of the R/R works by dumping excess voltage to ground (within the R/R box).  The more voltage you draw from the battery, the less current the regulator has to dump, so it actually runs cooler at heavy draw.  But heavy current draws do adversely affect the Stator.


You're not going to increase the charging capacity by installing bigger fuses, so why bother?

QuoteYou're not going to increase the charging capacity by installing bigger fuses, so why bother?
_________________
 
 

The marine store I went to only had 50 amps. They were out of 30 and 40s. So you're saying to stick with the 30 and get the 50 out ASAP? What you wrote makes sense (even to me!) and the last thing I want is to fry anything because of a fuse that's too big.

I've NEVER been accused of being too big, but this is a family site so... :lol:

The fuse rating should be less than the overall system capacity.  If you run a 40-amp (or greater) fuse on a 40-amp system, you'll come dangerously close to overloading the system before the fuse gets hot enough to blow.

If you're not going to run a 30-amp fuse, you'll need to be very careful to never overload the charging system, since the 30-amp fuse isn't there to safely stop a 35+ amp current draw before it overtaxes the charging system.

I found a 30-amp Maxi fuse at Autozone, but maybe they're not carried at all their stores.

You can look at the car stereo stores for the Maxi fuses too. I've even seen them at the larger Best Buy stores in their stereo departments.

Once again, thanks for making it clear Stretch. I'll be swaping it out for a 30 amp ASAP.

I just made a short video clip of my charging system voltage at idle -- with and without a pair of 55w driving lights turned on.

I better take care not to leave my Tiger idling for any extended period of time with the driving lights turned on or I'll have a discharged battery.

see here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=puXJX2HI05Q (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=puXJX2HI05Q)

Ok guys and hi from The Land of where Triumph Hailed....
 I have read all the threads and sasquatch or wotever his name is is correct in what he is saying, i have done the mod on a 2001 green tiger955i and it reduces resistance(flow) and i used 30 amp wiring/365watt but there is a reason for the 30 amp fuse and its to protect the system, and stop the wiring melting.. For a better understanding of current (amps)lets say the river nile is say 50 amp and the mississipi is 40 amp and your local river/stream depending on size is say 5/7.5/10/15/20/25/30 amp now think of the nile flowing through your local river/stream (yes its gonna blow/Overflow)this is known as current flowing through resistance ie 50 amp through 5amp wiring this is a problem so you will need larger wiring to cope with the amperage.
 so now think of power(watts) if your running 2x 55watt driving lamps this equates to 8 amp min usage.. to get a better picture of current/watts/volts/and resistance heres a link
http://www.electronics-tutorials.ws/dcc ... dcp_2.html (http://www.electronics-tutorials.ws/dccircuits/dcp_2.html)
this will give you a better understanding.. or Google Ohms Law
 Oh and what a fantastic forum... i have read various threads including recalls on fuel leaks... oh yes my female has decided to fracture and my local dealer and triumph wont accept that the females are a warranty/recall issue.. so i have purchased from CPC

good to see another Brit, you show UK, can you narrow it down a bit?

The old ATC fuse holder in my Sasquatch Fix overheated and melted because its small connectors created too much electrical resistance... the fuse holder couldn't endure having the normal 30 amps flowing through it for hours at a time.



   I had this problem about a month after doing my upgrade...


I ripped it all out and returned to stock,  but now am scared to power my lights etc..


    I would gladly pay someone to make me a plug and play kit of high quality parts, cause apparently I cannot do it myself.

anybody work in the electrical busniess?

Quote from: "Bixxer Bob"good to see another Brit, you show UK, can you narrow it down a bit?

Aye up matey...  exact location is Sheffield.. i have had a test run today on a rocket 3 and by christ it goes..and limits at 130  i love the bottem end power... oh sorry my name is Gary and i love me tiger 955, but was meant to have a test run on a 1050 tiger today but the bike was not in.. maybe someone or something is trying to tell me something...

Quote from: "REGULATOR"The old ATC fuse holder in my Sasquatch Fix overheated and melted because its small connectors created too much electrical resistance... the fuse holder couldn't endure having the normal 30 amps flowing through it for hours at a time.



   I had this problem about a month after doing my upgrade...


I ripped it all out and returned to stock,  but now am scared to power my lights etc..


    I would gladly pay someone to make me a plug and play kit of high quality parts, cause apparently I cannot do it myself.

anybody work in the electrical busniess?

sorry and yes its wire gauge than can cause meldown at the fuse,but the internal connections of the fuse holder must be good as well, it doesnt matter wether its a mini 30 amp or maxi 30amp they both do one job and its a kinda of link and when its overloaded it save your system, it doesnt matter on the area of contact, if you use 30 amp rated wire with a 30 amp mini rated fuse and the fuse holder is good quality and all your connections are good then you will not have a problem... but if you use the less rated wiring that is not designed for charging systems then you will have problems and meltdowns occur, and thats why i use ohms law to give me an idea, same with earthing if you have a bad connection you must expect problems... i have done my C+G/ B-Tec level 2 in vehicle electrics and electronic principles which involves alot more than the basics... imagine bigger the river the bigger the flow the less resistance..

Quoteanybody work in the electrical busniess?

Ain't close enough to do it for you sorry. Go for a slightly larger fuse and holder like the Maxi (its back a few posts in this thread).

Often the weakest part (electrically) in these moulded fuse holders is the bit you can't see. The connection of the wire to the fuse holding terminals. Because this is a poor connection it heats up with the high current, and eventually melts and fails.

If you can find the part at a local auto store you should be able to find an auto sparky who can fix it in place. A lot of stores have someone on site who fits Car Audio. May not be fully techno skilled, but should be able to fit an inline Fuse holder that you supply.

For the record, the 30 amp Maxi fuses are pretty easy to find--several car parts places, our local Best Buy, etc. all have them--but that Maxi holder might be a b!tch to locate. After a couple days of hard looking I have one last faint hope in a car audio place near me (they said they could order one); else I'll have to order one on teh interwebs.

Thanks for that Gaijin.. Also try RV and Marine stores if you have them in your area because these folk add shiney things to their toys too

Easiest bet: try amazon.com or ebay. Just look up Maxi Fuse.

Or just Google it: http://www.google.com/products?q=maxi+fuse+holder (http://www.google.com/products?q=maxi+fuse+holder)

Good luck!

Quote from: "Nimrod11"Here are the wires I made:
(http://www.finesko.com/pictures/IMG00110s.jpg)

Probably a stupid question but...

Why are the spade connectors needed? Why not splice the two red (power) lines coming from the RR together, then splice them into the line going into the fuse? (The uppermost set in Nimrod's pic above.) Wouldn't that eliminate another connection?

Thanks all & sorry if this is obvious [to everyone else],

rg


P.S. BTW all the car audio places near me failed too on the Maxi holder. So I ordered a couple over the internet (~$4.50 each). It's a shame; I was hoping to pick one up locally and have that part of the repair chaos handled this weekend.


EDIT: And ditto the ground. Why not just splice the two black wires into one, and then stick that into the O lead that sits on the neg terminal?

Quote from: "ridin gaijin"Why are the spade connectors needed?

For me, simple answer. I didn't want to cut the original wires. If this fix fails, just unplug the fix and plug back in to original harness.

As for not finding the maxi fuse in a shop, this seems to be a problem in the US now. Anything you want that is a little out of the ordinary has to be ordered online. Shops now just have the usual stuff.

Gaijin  you are absolutely correct, minimise the connections and you minimise the potential for problems.
Spade terminals are not wonderful connectors, they are simply low cost and readily available.
Having the ability to remove the mod, as Nimrod suggests, may appeal to some. :)

Thanks guys. I really appreciate it.

Quote from: "atokad"UPDATE:  I went ahead and did the fix since I'd constructed the leads to go from the battery to the RR. I did the female spade ends (vs cutting the stock connector off) figuring that if I screwed some wiring up or if it ever went bad (my connections) during a trip I could remove all of my connections and just plug in the stock connectors.

Exactly what I chose to do. Leave the stock connectors all in place in case they are need to re-connect in the event of a malfunction with the mod/fuse holder/dealer necessity for testing etc etc.

The rectifier/regulator. I moved it from under the seat behind the engine to the frame: it's secured with 4 stainless steel zip ties (OMFG I never even knew these existed...I don't think I'll ever buy tinsel again at Xmas) with a claimed tensile strength of 100 lbs each. Now it catches some breeze--or can; road test is tomorrow. Additionally the RR is farkled with the modified Sasquatch fix. I've eliminated the connectors as I said I would. Now, the two neg wires are spliced together, connect to a 10 ga, and go straight to the neg term. The positives are spliced, wired with 10 ga into a 30 amp MAXI fuse, and then the MAXI goes straight to the pos term. No going back! :shock:

I take it out tomorrow for road testing. But tonight, in the garage...

...not only did the machine start, and not melt or explode, but the Datel read 14.7 - 14.8 at idle.




I have a lot of work still to do and it's sure not as pretty under there as it could be. But tonight, I'm very happy.  :wink:

Quote from: "ridin gaijin"it's secured with 4 stainless steel zip ties (OMFG I never even knew these existed...I don't think I'll ever buy tinsel again at Xmas)

Congrats on your fix! Post pictures, would love to see what you did with the RR.

Enjoy the ride!

So what's the bottom line on a good replacement (non OEM) R/R for our girlies? Stretch has written about an SCR unit from a Honda 600RR, then later about one from the 1,000RR.

Do we have a consensus on a good, reliable replacement? I know it won't be plug-and-play, but don't want to be in experimental mode with the beast. We're looking to increase reliability, after all!  :D

I did away with the stock SCR unit and went with a more efficient, cooler-running MOSFET unit from a 2008 CBR1000RR.  The manufacturer's model number of the R/R itself is FH008EB.

Now, some one has checked or has had any issue with the ROTOR alternator (magnets)?
In my case I replaced the batt, RR and the stator, I performed the wiring mod  and still the same low voltage.

Have you had it off the bike???  If it's not seated right, or the stator is not seated right the fields would have less effect resulting in lower output... but it does sound odd.....  Guess you've checked all your connections for the mod, you could also be missing a winding, and that will lead to the system failing (again).

I did it! With the weather being so friggin cold even in Florida (and I don't have gear for ridin at 30 deg) I decided to have at it. Was a bit of a PITA with the position of the connector but got er done w/o pulling the tank.
Fired her up cold and was reading on the datel up around 14.4 to 14.5. Never been that high before, best at cold start was around 13.8.

In the morning going to hook back up the 55w driving lights along with some "trash can" LED Amber marker lights I built this week to see what she does around town. Will post update once I give her a try. And if I can find my camera will post some pic's of my home made led lights.

OK gents I've got a 98 Steamer and am trying to find the point of connection for the regulator/rectifier to do this mod but cant find it?????????   Where is it????? Anyone....please!!!!!! I am trying not to start taking stuff apart, but.........

the steamers regulator /rectifier is built into the alternator like a car .
I for one have not seen the need to modify anything on the steamer as all three of mine show 12.9 to 13.2 volts at  the battery when idling at 1200 rpm .........with bone stock wiring configuration ........just sayin
bring the rpm up to 1700 or so and I show 14.1 volts at the battery

Well I was testing and got 13.0 volts at a warm idle of 1000rpms.  At 3000rpms I got over 14.0 volts.  With the mod couldnt I get better at idle?  If the R/R is built in how would you do this mod on a Steamer?  Anyone?

You wouldn't there isn't any point. Thirteen at idle is fine, don't need any more than that.

well that settles that!  What if I add extra lights?

Quote from: "Bob Tosi"well that settles that!  What if I add extra lights?

the steamer alternator puts out at idle speed approx. 400 watts of power at a running sped of 3000 rpm you would be seeing approx 500 watts

so start adding up your wattage draw ......

both headlights on low beam will draw 110 watts by themselves
switch to high beam and you consume even more wattage depending on what you have foer H4 bulbs ie. if you have 80 watt high beams you have consumed 160 watts already on high beam

now add in the amount of wattage a cooling fan willrun and any additional lights on the bike
instrument panel bulbs
brake and tail bulbs
if you have heated grips
you will find that you are fast approaching your limit for wattage

if you add in some 55 watt driving lights well there goes another 110 watts whenever they are turned on .

If you are near your wattage limit you can always go for the new 10 watt LED driving lights.  Durable and blindingly bright.  I don't have these (yet) but have seen them in use.

http://www.webbikeworld.com/lights/denali-led-lights/ (http://www.webbikeworld.com/lights/denali-led-lights/)

tett

Quote from: "Bob Tosi"well that settles that!  What if I add extra lights?

the slide show on the end of that page says it all. those lights are worth it.

Quote from: "Nimrod11"I am sooooooooo happy!!!  :D  :D  :D  :D

Just did the fix last night and it is fantastic. I think I got almost 2V increase with this. This is where my problem was. Thank you all so much for this tip. I would have been a frustrated Tiger owner otherwise.

I also wanted to leave my little contribution for others to go ahead and do this fix. It is so easy to do. The first time I read it, I thought I would have to take the bike down to my mechanic to do it but it is very simple indeed.

I made the two wires, according to the instructions, using a Maxi Fuse (I discovered that here in Brazil they call it a "Big Foot") of 40A. You can actually do them quite short as you can bring the plug near the battery. Actually, if it weren't for the two plugs on the positive, you could just use the wire that comes with the fuse holder.

Here are the wires I made:
(http://www.finesko.com/pictures/IMG00110s.jpg)

You will note further down that they could be much shorter.

The bike wire you have to disconnect is on the left side, near the accessory power outlet. You will notice it comes from the Regulator/Rectifier that is just to the left of the battery, hidden away. The bike's harness goes over to the right side of the bike. This wire you don't want anymore. This is the connector:
(http://www.finesko.com/pictures/IMG00112s.jpg)

Once disconnected, isolate the bike harness part and pull the connector you want up near the battery. Then just connect the harness you made to the connector and to the battery. here is my final setup:
(http://www.finesko.com/pictures/IMG00114s.jpg)

Note that the original connector sits right beside the battery terminal. This gives you an idea of how short you man make your wires.

I also installed my little voltmeter. This of course took much longer as you have to take all the front of the bike off:
(http://www.finesko.com/pictures/IMG00119s.jpg)

The reading is 13V but this is after the aux lights switch. At the battery terminals, it was 13.5V, up from about 11.7V before the fix at idle.  :lol:

And, since I am posting, here are the lights I put on:
(http://www.finesko.com/pictures/IMG00121s.jpg)
(http://www.finesko.com/pictures/IMG00120s.jpg)

Very cheap lights, bought at Walmart, but very effective when driving and very easy to install. I just used the same screw that holds the side panel of the bike on, just near the flickers.

Go ahead, do this fix. It is great! With all this power, I'll now install a 42"TV and a microwave for the popcorn...

Thanks to all of the Forum for this great tip!

Regards,
John

Hi John...do you know here i can find one of this meters???
(http://www.finesko.com/pictures/IMG00119s.jpg)

You can get the meters here: http://www.datelmeters.com/cgi-bin/webshop.cgi?config=ent-dcvoltmeters

Quote from: "hkousoulos"Hi John...do you know here i can find one of this meters???

Hi hkousoulos, sorry I hadn't seen your post. The link above is where I got it. Good luck!

I was just clicking on all the mods in this section and like an idiot, read about this mod without really reading the 955 part lol. Stopped and picked up the parts today, got home, tried to find the connection, realized something wasn't exactly looking right on my 99 according to the first post, came in and read to the second page where the question about this mod on 99-00 Tigers came about, posted that maybe someone forgot to mention that, went back and read the first page again and noticed the post title and now I'm sitting here like an idiot editing my first stupid post  :?
Oh well, Not the first time I felt slightly retarded and more than likely not the last.
 Still glad I found this site. Awesome info. I just might need a Special Ed tutor to help me out with the reading part   8)

I just completed the "voltage fix" or as they say on the Thumper Talk site for the Suzuki DRZ400S......the "free power mod" on my '06 Girly.  It was pretty easy to do after I removed the gas tank to access the R/R connector.  My voltage at the  battery went from 12.5 v before the mod and 13.5 v after the mod......and around 14.8 v at 3000 rpm.

Sorry to ask what is probably a stupid question but I know nothing about auto electrics and want to attempt the voltage fix.

Please could someone tell me what size F Type spade connectors I need and where I can get some in the UK of reasonable quality.

Thanks

I don't remember the size but I can check when I get home.

Just a suggestion: make sure you get top quality products - mine melted away and left me dead. The good thing is that the way I did it, I just disconnected and went back to factory standard.

Also, make sure you really need it. Don't just do it because you feel like it. If you never had a dead battery, don't worry.

Quote from: "Nimrod11"I don't remember the size but I can check when I get home.

Just a suggestion: make sure you get top quality products - mine melted away and left me dead. The good thing is that the way I did it, I just disconnected and went back to factory standard.

Also, make sure you really need it. Don't just do it because you feel like it. If you never had a dead battery, don't worry.

Thanks Nimrod, only considering the fix because I have recently had a flat battery a couple of times. Reg Rec and battery replaced and stator is ok but voltage is still not great so I thought this might help.

Do you have any extra electric loads? Lights, heated vest, microwave, 50" TV? Should be OK with no extras and without the fix.

It is ok now but I am not using my heated grips, GPS etc at the moment, my worry is that I will still have problems when I want to use everything so I am hoping this will give me some leeway.

Have got some good quality Marine cable 8awg and 10awg along with some Marine battery terminals and am reasonably competent with crimpers and a soldering iron so just need to sort out good F type connectors in the right size.

Quote from: "Nimrod11"Also, make sure you really need it. Don't just do it because you feel like it. If you never had a dead battery, don't worry.

I did mine as an insurance rather than because I had a problem. It's easy and cheap enough, gives me another excuse to poke about when it's too miserable outside to ride, and does seem to rectify a design fault.

I'm not 100% sure about how these things are numberd, but I bought a box at Home Depot of the brand Gardner Bender size 15. I think the part number is 15-153F and underneath it says "16-14" (not sure what that means). Look for the fully insulated female disconects.

Now, just a warning: the ones I actually used on the mod were not these, but they look the same to me. Just a small Murphy chance...

Good luck!

Thanks Nimrod, I can find these and will check they are spot on before crimping them on.

Here you go. A bad cell phone picture, but just for reference.

Thanks Nimrod, you were correct on the connectors, voltage fix done and the bike is running well.

Since I had the tank off to clean the air filter anyway, I decided to perform this mod.  Easy to do, and although I am yet to have the bike out on the road, I did notice all the lights were brighter.  INcluding the dash and turn signals.  I see 14.37 volts at the batt at idle.   :lol:

04 Tiger

This is a great thread.
I found a Maxi fuse holder on Amazon.
American Terminal 115LF Waterproof 8-Gauge Maxi Fuse Holder.
Here is the link.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001762LE4 (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001762LE4)
Just beware, as delivered, I don't see how the fuse holder is waterproof.  Fuse holder is slightly different that the holder in the product's picture.  I'll post a picture tomorrow.

Question for those that has made the wiring modification.

What gauge wire did you use for the two leads heading to the R/R and exiting the R/R to the ring terminal that will be bolted to the negative post of the battery?  10 gauge or 12 gauge?
Pretty certain I have all the parts to make up the two wiring leads.
Thanks in advance,
Kraftsman 73

Quote from: "Kraftsman 73"Question for those that has made the wiring modification.

What gauge wire did you use for the two leads heading to the R/R and exiting the R/R to the ring terminal that will be bolted to the negative post of the battery?  10 gauge or 12 gauge?
Kraftsman 73

I used good quality Marine cable, 8awg  to the battery and 10awg for the splice I think.

Thanks Sasquatch. I thought I was going to have to replace my battery. It didn't have enough juice to crank the engine. As soon as I did this easy mod, the problem went away. '03 Tiger

I have read all 9 pages and all sound terrific. Can I use the Eastern Beaver H4 dual headlight relay in conjunction with this mod or should I use just one or the other?
Thanks,
Rod

2006 tiger

GREAT MOD!!!  Thanks for the info. Did mine a few months back. Works a charm!
Sasquatch  :notworthy

what exactley does this vlotage fix ,fix?

Quote from: nojohn on November 30, 2012, 07:19:20 PM
what exactley does this vlotage fix ,fix?

it gets rid of some of the extra spaghetti that triumph builds the bike with .................

the end result is you reduce some of the resistance that is in the xtra cable and plug connectors , that go back to the battery . with the net gain being up to 1 volt xtra that makes it back to the battery .

Bear in mind this won't increase your ability to run mega watt lights and heated vests at the same time . IT DOES NOT INCREASE POWER AVAILABLE . It only helps to get the missing volt back .

the stator will still only output the amount of WATTS that it is designed for .

Quote from: Mustang on November 30, 2012, 07:44:36 PM

Quote from: nojohn on November 30, 2012, 07:19:20 PM
what exactley does this vlotage fix ,fix?

it gets rid of some of the extra spaghetti that triumph builds the bike with .................

plus that spaghetti is way undersized for the current it takes. There is a side benefit in that it frees up a spare live lead.

Mustang, just curious, do you know of a stator "upgrade" for the Girly? Or is that just opening a Pandoras Box of other issues?

I spoke to the nice folks at Ricks electronics, they said you actually free up an additional 50-70 watts by using the upgraded Mosfet regulator since it is more efficient at converting the AC output from the stator to DC 12V.

I just found out by way of amp meter, my Girly at idle is at 14.1 to 14.3. With the heated grips on high it is still at 14 amps at idle. I'm leave'n well enough alone!   :XXsunsmile
Rod

Hmm,  do you mean volts by any chance?

I think you'd be right brother man...I guess there's a reason they call it a volt meter......... :hat10

Thanks!
Rod

I have now upgraded my Tiger following this guide. I bought a "Maxi Blade Fuse Holder 100 AMP" on ebay plus a 30amp Maxi fuse to fit it. I soldered on the connectors making two leads that look like this (photo1)

When I fitted them to the bike I realised my mistake. So thought I'd put out a WARNING. When I fitted my Lucar connectors into the Tigers RR outlet connector I realised that my connectors were not insulated and are very close together, if squeezed when covering the joint with insulating tape could touch together and cause a dead short. Obviously it would blow the 30amp Maxi fuse. Until I assembled the whole thing I hadn't realised how close the positive and negative terminals become in the original RR connector. I was lucky I didn't touch them together. I have now insulated the Lucar connectors and taped up the whole connection the fuse sits nicely next to the tank. This is what the job looked like when I realised my mistake. (photo2)

Thanks Fross for the pictures and update. When I did a voltage check on my 06 tiger I got around 14.2 Volts at idle without the upgrade, so I've passed on doing it. I
don't know why, but I guess I'm lucky..   :thumbsup
Rod

Quote from: Fross on December 18, 2012, 12:54:56 AM
I have now upgraded my Tiger following this guide. I bought a "Maxi Blade Fuse Holder 100 AMP" on ebay plus a 30amp Maxi fuse to fit it. I soldered on the connectors making two leads that look like this (photo1)

When I fitted them to the bike I realised my mistake. So thought I'd put out a WARNING. When I fitted my Lucar connectors into the Tigers RR outlet connector I realised that my connectors were not insulated and are very close together, if squeezed when covering the joint with insulating tape could touch together and cause a dead short. Obviously it would blow the 30amp Maxi fuse. Until I assembled the whole thing I hadn't realised how close the positive and negative terminals become in the original RR connector. I was lucky I didn't touch them together. I have now insulated the Lucar connectors and taped up the whole connection the fuse sits nicely next to the tank. This is what the job looked like when I realised my mistake. (photo2)

I negated the whole worry about the two connections touching in the regulator output connection by just removing them from the connector and heat shrinking them on their own and then taped together and secured em with zip ties.   Didn't want to loose the original (now empty connection) so I re-secured it to the unused wire loom connection and heat shrinked it closed, with the possibility of using it later for a power and/or ground source. Sorry for my lack of pictures  I might be able to grab a few at a later time, but the ones on here are pretty much the same as mine.  The mod has provided me with a usable 14.5 volts and with heated gear and grips on a normal of 13.2 on the freeway.

Good luck

Quote from: bjago on December 19, 2012, 12:37:42 AM
I negated the whole worry about the two connections touching in the regulator output connection by just removing them from the connector and heat shrinking them on their own and then taped together and secured em with zip ties.   Didn't want to loose the original (now empty connection) so I re-secured it to the unused wire loom connection and heat shrinked it closed, with the possibility of using it later for a power and/or ground source. Sorry for my lack of pictures  I might be able to grab a few at a later time, but the ones on here are pretty much the same as mine.  The mod has provided me with a usable 14.5 volts and with heated gear and grips on a normal of 13.2 on the freeway.

Good luck

Hi Bjago,  Good idea, I wish I'd thought of doing that. I might have a look at changing the connection I've made.
Thanks, Fross

It's been a while since anyone posted here, but hopefully folks still look at it.  How are you guys making your splice?  From Sasquatch's original picture, I get the basic idea -- the push-on connectors go on either end and the center is wired to the single line to the battery.  Is everybody just winding/soldering the connection or what?

Thanks,

Dodd

Great info on this thread. I'll be doing this over winter.

I need to practice my wiring skills first though ;)

I only read the first couple pages!! :icon_redface:,then realised a maxi fuse hold might help and fitted one of those as well.

I know it's  a dead thread but figured I'd try.

Just did this fix on an 01 this afternoon(just bought it)
Seemed to work, as in I was getting below 12 at idle,  and now seem to be getting 13v on the meter... BUT.
Soon as I started it,  the engine light came on,  wouldn't turn off.
Went back and undid the fix,  light still on.

Now I have to wonder if I messed something up...

it needs three heat cycles for the light to go out after unhooking/replacing battery .

it will go out after you ride it 3 times

 :bowdown

Thank you,  thank you,  thank you.

Quote from: rex007can on April 05, 2014, 11:32:28 PM
Soon as I started it,  the engine light came on,  wouldn't turn off.
Went back and undid the fix,  light still on.

If you have an OBD2 scanner it can be used on your bike as well, I just replaced my charging system and had a cel, these bikes have a scanner port so I figured WTH I'll give it a try, turns out my codes were all just "gas tank was removed/battery was disconnected" insignificant stuff, I hit the erase button and no more codes.

Hi All,
New here, led here like many I presume, by the voltage fix!
However, I notice the pics are all missing from the first post, any chance anyone could repost please?
I've got trouble on my tiger, I've replaced the battery after, whilst it seemed to run fine once started, was not charging the battery. Thought it just battery so replaced that. Now, after doing so, I found some general diagnostics for Triumphs on another forum, and found I may have other issues... I've got 12.8v all off, 11.8 with full lights, no engine, 13.1 running, but only 12.5 as it revs... don't think that's going to charge it much...!

Any advice readily appreciated here, I've not had the bike that long, and fear I've bought something that someone else dumped as too much trouble... I've had one issue after another !!
:wheel

This: http://www.triumphrat.net/speed-triple-forum/104504-charging-system-diagnostics-rectifier-regulator-upgrade.html (http://www.triumphrat.net/speed-triple-forum/104504-charging-system-diagnostics-rectifier-regulator-upgrade.html)is a good general description of charging system fault-finding.

Quote from: bilbob on January 02, 2015, 12:59:10 PM
Hi All,
New here, led here like many I presume, by the voltage fix!
However, I notice the pics are all missing from the first post, any chance anyone could repost please?

Have a look at page 4 of this thread, that should help.

the guy who posted this mod removed his pics and is no longer a member  :bug_eye

lets just say he's an inmate somewhere else now . :bad

This mod won't help you though .
By the sounds of it you have a reg/rectifier that went tits up and probably the stator too .
It's very common on 955I's .
there is tons of info in the Girly section on aftermarket replacements that work better than OEM.

Quote from: bilbob on January 02, 2015, 12:59:10 PM
Hi All,
New here, led here like many I presume, by the voltage fix!
However, I notice the pics are all missing from the first post, any chance anyone could repost please?
I've got trouble on my tiger, I've replaced the battery after, whilst it seemed to run fine once started, was not charging the battery. Thought it just battery so replaced that. Now, after doing so, I found some general diagnostics for Triumphs on another forum, and found I may have other issues... I've got 12.8v all off, 11.8 with full lights, no engine, 13.1 running, but only 12.5 as it revs... don't think that's going to charge it much...!

Any advice readily appreciated here, I've not had the bike that long, and fear I've bought something that someone else dumped as too much trouble... I've had one issue after another !!
:wheel

Look at Electrex World,  they have a trouble shooting guide here:

http://www.electrexworld.co.uk/acatalog/Troubleshooting-3P-PMG-&-RR.pdf

They sell two types of Reg/rec;  the standard similar to the OEM and the MOSFET.  Myself and Chris Canning can both vouch for their MOSFET, just make sure to follow the instructions, particularly about the extra purple wire.

http://www.electrexworld.co.uk/cgi-bin/ss000001.pl?page=search&SS=tiger+reg+rec&ACTION=Search&PR=-1&TB=A

If the plug to the stator is in good condition (often they are melted and blackened) and the voltage coming off each coil is roughly the same, you'll get away with just changing the reg/rec.

As an addition.
I have tried using the maxi fuse and holder, eventually I had the same problem with the melting fuse holder.
The bikes running high wattage lamps and heated grips but ridden all year round.
The solution as always is to over engineer and found great success with this.


(http://i1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc455/metalguru1/DSCN1494.jpg) (http://s1212.photobucket.com/user/metalguru1/media/DSCN1494.jpg.html)

I'm starting to tackle wiring upgrades on my 2004 Girly.    Just to make sure I'm not totally confused (since the original sasquatch photos are gone and there don't seem to be any others that help me, or if there are, I didn't find them...   I've spent several hours perusing the information here - but before I start, it would really help with my confidence if someone could assure me that I'm on the right track...

so...  some wires (presumably 3 black) leave the stator hidden within a black approx. 25mm corrugated plastic hose conduit and go up behind the LHS top engine mount.   3 black wires go into a connector ("A") and 3 yellow wires leave "A" and go into the RR.   From the RR, 2 black and 2 red go forward into another connector ("B") which is zip-tied to the back of the fuel rail.  then 2 black and 2 brown seem to leave that connector heading toward the RHS of the bike for parts unknown (presumably the main wiring harness?)

So help me out here - and my apologies if I'm being unreasonably stupid -    to do just the sasquatch fix,  I should leave connector "A" alone and cut the 2 black and 2 red wires between the RR and connector "B" and then splice the 2 black wires together and the 2 red together (that are currently between the RR and connector "B") - and then connect the red through a really big maxi fuse with an even bigger mega fuse holder into a ring terminal that will go on the positive battery post - and similarly with the two black to the negative battery post.   Or cut the 3 black wires upstream of "A" (if length allows) and send them directly into the RR where the yellow wires are currently connected...

And then, to do the sasquatch fix PLUS replace the RR, it's just an extension of the above...

Am I on the right track?   I always hated wiring.    I tool ElecE 101 "Electrical Circuits" in 1st year of Engrg school in 1980 and I was completely baffled the whole time.  So I went into Geol. Eng!!!

Thanks in advance

Ian

Why are you moved to attempt this in the first place?  I tried the mod when my voltage at the battery was barely hitting 13v.  It increased it to nearly 15v, but eventually the main culprit - the reg rec - gave up.  I replaced it with a MOSFET type that incudes a purple battery monitor wire and at the same time removed the mod and have been getting a steady 14.5 -14.8v ever since as well as a noticeable improvement in how the bike runs.

But in answer to your question, yes - do the black and red as you describe.  As for the three stator wires you can simply clean the contacts in the connector, grease with dialectric grease and reassemble, or as I have done on both my Tiger and my Blackbird, get rid of the connectors and solder then insulate the wires instead.  I use good quality heat shrink for insulation.

Thanks BB for the reply - so you suggest I just leave well enough alone and replace the RR with a MOSFET type.  I think I saw somewhere in here a recommendation regarding where to source such a thing...

I think that other wise you are only postponing the inevitable.  We use Electrexworld in the UK, not sure about Canada though.  If ther4e's any doubt about the contacts in the three wire stator connector  replace it by soldering the wires, assuming of course that you are competent with a soldering iron (I only say that because some folks aren't)

thanks - I will contact electrexworld and see how they feel about shipping to Canada - unless anyone knows of a supplier hereabouts...???

If you go for the Elecrex world one make sure you get the one with the extra purple wire.  Its a battery voltage sensing wire and makes your reg rec work like a battery tender like Optimate.  Same price as the standard so worth doing.

Is a 10awg wire fuse holder good enough or should I get a 8awg.  Only reason I ask is that with the 8awg I will neeed a new crimp tool for the ring terminals.  Also, a 30 amp fuse right?  I would've thought it would take a bigger one.

Just nip it with decent pliers and solder it, I'd recommend soldering any connections you can. Try measuring the resistance before and after soldering, you'll be surprised and that's before it gets hot  :sign13

30amps is the same rating as the main fuse on the side of the battery box.

I have no idea where to get a solder ring terminal for such small wire so that isn't an option.  I was planning on soldering the  wires together but again 8awg or 10awg?  I would think 8 would stay cooler but is it too big for the amount of amps?

The only downside of heavier gauge cable in this case is physical manipulation.

Quote from: benebob on February 14, 2015, 02:27:28 AM
I have no idea where to get a solder ring terminal for such small wire so that isn't an option.  I was planning on soldering the  wires together but again 8awg or 10awg?  I would think 8 would stay cooler but is it too big for the amount of amps?

It can never be too big in terms of current carrying capacity but can be a problem to physically fit in some cases.

I'm not familiar with awg sizes.

So after more reading here and other forums I decided to replace my rectifier.  Ordered the speed triple harness leads from Triumph that adv rider site said would be a direct plug and play so for $10 it was worth a try.  Now, for those who went with a mosfet, where did you get it and how much.  Seems to be quite the range of pricing and of course Chinese ones are $40 shipped up to $160, problem is most of the sellers don't tell ya who makes what they sell.  I just want to avoid a break down where parts are hard to source in NE Canada.

Chap in the UK just bought a Shinginden MOSFET, too early to tell how it will work out but as Electrex World aren't doing them for the time being we need to look wider. 

I got caught out the other day, rode to town, voltmeter said 14.3-14.6 so happy enough.  Tried to restart bike after stopping in a carpark and .... nothing.   Left it half an hour and it grumbled into life, just.

Motobatt yellow battery died with no notice whatsoever, as Chris Canning has said they do many times.  It was probably five years old. New battery and all's well again.  And, interestingly, bike is running better. 

I'm always saying, most probs with this bike are down to low volts / amps....

Quote from: Bixxer Bob on March 13, 2015, 09:58:10 PM
Motobatt yellow battery died with no notice whatsoever, as Chris Canning has said they do many times.  It was probably five years old. New battery and all's well again.  And, interestingly, bike is running better. 

My Motobatt died about a month ago,it was 2 1/2 years old.I have replaced it with a Varta one.

The picture links in the OP are broken. Any chance to get them back up? I see it is from 2007 maybe not possible. There are some pics later in the post that are helpful.

they were hosted on the op's photo acct and he aint around no mo'................... :^_^

I may have saved the original post as a Word or PDF document a couple years ago.  I will check my home computer when I get home and try and upload it. 

Cheers! 

Here is the pdf, actually had it on my work computer.... :icon_eek:

If the pdf does not show as an attachement send me a personal message with your email and I will forward it to you. 

Paul

Well I decided against doing the mod for now.  Instead i replaced the rectifier with the newest Shindengen Series regulator rather than a shut style.  A sparky I am not but with all the reading I did and the helpfulness of the www.roadstercycle.com site (and owner) I used the Triumph Harness out of a later Rocket 3 Part number #T2500676 which connects to the orignal wiring and then also to the new shindengen electrical connectors.  The bolt holes do not line up  so you would need to make a bracket to mount it to the original location.  I did buy my regulator from the roadstercycle as I was impressed with his site and the help it provided.  The part number is SH775.  If you'd rather use a dealer you can get it from polaris dealers as it is oem in one of their machines.  After replacing I've noticed that my battery doesn't flicker on throttle blips like it used to.  I wasn't having any other charging issues but was concerned with an upcoming ride on the Lab highway alone in the middle of nowhere.  If someone wants pics let me know as I snapped a few but it is really a simple straight foward swap that should end much of the heat related issues with the stator/regulator and wiring.  Not sure what that means for the squach mod but figured I'd stick with the factory set up until I notice some voltage drop to the battery or other issues.

I am still here but lost all my photos that I had on Smugmug.  Yup, forgot to pay and in a very short time they were deleted.  My fault none the less.  Nice to see my mod is still being used.

Smugmug mess with sasquatch?

http://youtu.be/k8W9U0qhLz8

Quote from: Sasquatch on October 09, 2015, 02:01:48 AM
I am still here but lost all my photos that I had on Smugmug.  Yup, forgot to pay and in a very short time they were deleted.  My fault none the less.  Nice to see my mod is still being used.

Good to see you back.

So I got my spare harness all wired up today and put a 30amp maxi in it.  With the heated grips on, high beams on, driving lights on the voltage at idle is a nice 14.2.  When I turn on the turns or the brake light it dips to 13.5ish.  I used a 6awg maxi fuseholder I got via Amazon.  It is very heavy duty and quite large but fits fine in my 06 beside the tank.  Now my question is should I be using a 30amp or 40amp fuse in there.  I bought an assortment set cheaper from amazon then one fuse was at pep boys.

I just completed the mod today. My stator and RR went belly up last summer, while I was replacing them, I built the mod. I'm getting 14.12 at idle. When the roads dry out and thaw, I will give the biker a test ride.

I did this mod last year but left a coil of wire about 3 feet long. I was thinking of relocating the rectifier to the front of the bike. I never got more than 13.9v. Today I cut the wire right down and am now getting 14.2 at idle.

I know this is a dead thread and Most folks have moved on and honestly I read to page 9 and gave up. But hopefully there's someone still watching this   

I see and understand the current draw potential of 40 amps and 8 ga. Wire. But coming out of the RR are 2 12 ga. wires. So is the one 8 ga just for looks? To keep the battery clean? Less inpedince? Is there anything with using 2 12ga. Wires out of each connector and 2 20 amp fuses? Then use one ring at the battery? I'm having trouble getting my head around the splice at the connector. I've even thought about stripping the 8 ga. Wire showing enough copper to divide the wire in 2 Run the split to each spade connector then liquid tape and heat shrink any bare copper. If anyone is still monitoring please advise.

Thanks.

Electrics has never been my strong point but I do have the above mod and did just as you would painting by numbers,4 wires out of the R/R two black two red.

Splice two blacks and have one with one wire to the neg,splice to reds together with the maxi fuse to the pos and that's it.

YES! 9 years! A recent dead battery has got me diagnosing my electrical system to make sure the RR and stator are still good.  Thought I would post that the Mod is still good 9 years later and the RR has checked out fine.  Need to check the stator next.  I was a little concerned about the RR at first because some of the contacts were dirty and I felt maybe a little loose after 9 years so I cleaned and DE greased them and added a large piece of shrink wrap over all the connections and added a couple if zip ties to keep it all tight and clean.

I did the Mod 14.8 at the Battery.  :*  Without a schismatic I dont know why we swapp both wires.  unless there is another point where  both Reds reconnect somewhere else. There is only one red at the battery.  so where does the other red wire go?

If you go to post #167 there is a pdf you can download with pictures that show the 2 reds (and 2 blacks) coming off the RR connector are spliced into the one red and black wire that go to the battery.

Thanks Ive Done the Mod more curios if it goes out as 2 red wires how are they being backfed to the reset of the bike since its all been bypassed. I m a little nervous right now. On board meter is showing 14.8/14.9 just hope I'm not baking the Battery.

The 2 reds out are spliced/soldered/connected into one red that goes to the battery +terminal.  Same for the blacks.

Hi  :icon_biggrin:

I was having electrical problems with my 2006 '955, with a duff battery after only 2 years of having it fitted. Checking the voltages out, I was only getting about 13 volts throughout the rev range.

I bought a Shindengen SH847 rectifier in the hope it would solve all my problems. I fitted it through the Triumph "link lead" through the bike's original wiring. I had an improvement in voltage, getting about 13.8 volts throughout the rev range.

However, I really wanted to up in the 14 volts, so I did the "Sasquatch Mod" wiring the rectifier directly through the battery via some 10AWG wire and a maxi fuse and holder. My voltage is now a steady 14.3V throughout the rev range. I was expecting / hoping for a bit more, but maybe that's down to having the original stator in ??

So I've gone from 13V to 14.3V. I'm happy with the Sasquatch Mod, so a big thanks everyone on this thread. I couldn't have done it without reading all the info on how and why to do it - cheers  :icon_salut:

Just done the mod and very happy to report 14.6 volts on idle where it was 12.8 thanks very much sasquatch

Their are other threads on here mentioning such,anyone reading this and also in the future needing a new RR it is now possible to by such with the mod built in.

Quote from: Chris Canning on December 31, 2019, 09:05:37 AM
a new RR it is now possible to by such with the mod built in.

Would you have a partname/number or link to such a RR? Or is it the Electrex RR881? Thanks, Wim.

Yes it is.

Hi, has anyone got the photos from the original post????

Unfortunately not Reubs.  The pics were lost many moons ago during a server crash. 

For info,  Electrexworld now do a RR with this mod already built in.  We were way ahead of our time......

Quote from: Putts255 on March 31, 2015, 08:38:24 PM
I may have saved the original post as a Word or PDF document a couple years ago.  I will check my home computer when I get home and try and upload it. 

Cheers! 

Here is the pdf, actually had it on my work computer.... :icon_eek:

If the pdf does not show as an attachement send me a personal message with your email and I will forward it to you. 

Paul

If you find this post, which is #167, you will find a PDF there with all the pictures in there. ;)

Quote from: Reubs on January 21, 2021, 09:30:37 AM
Hi, has anyone got the photos from the original post????

Here is .pdf

:wheel   :rrr   :__   :wings